Boat propulsion



Nov. 19, 1963 Filed Sept. 25, 1961 G. VAN DER PUTTEN l BOAT PROPULSION 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 G. VAN DER PUTTEN 3,111,110

Nov. 19, 1963 BOAT PROPULSION 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 25, 1961 INVEN TOR.

Nov. 19, 1963 a. VAN DER PUTTEN 3,111,110?

BOAT PROPULSION 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 25. 1961 INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent 0 3,111,119 BOAT PRGPULfiiON George van der Putten, Sodermalmsvagen, Trosa, Sweden Filed Sept. 25, 1961, Ser. No. 149,392 Claims priority, appiication Norway Sept. 24, 1960 1 Claim. (Cl. 115-31) The invention relates to a propelling device for boats and concerns more in particular a propelling device for lighter boats, such as the type that is used on beaches in surf-riding, by means of hand-power.

Many types of rowing-boats, which are propelled by means of oars by hand-power, are commonly known. As a rule the oars-man in these boats is seated with his back towards the direction of movement, which is not very convenient with a view to the shaping of the course of the boat, while moreover the shipping and handling of the oars is an art which requires to be mastered first. This applies to an increased extent for the rowing style sometimes employed by practised oarsmen, according to which style the oarsman usually propels the boat with the oars while standing up and facing in the direction of movement. Moreover only a part of the rowing movements is utilized for propulsion.

The object of the invention is simplicity of movement, viz the up-and-down movement of levers, which requires no training, and the utilization of this simple movement in both directions for the propulsion of the boat.

To achieve this object, according to the invention a device for propelling a boat by hand-power, consisting of levers pivoted on the edges of the boat and comprising a handle or the like at the inner end and a wing or blade at the outer end, is characterized in that the levers pivot on horizontal shafts parallel to the longitudinal direction of the boat and that each wing is rotatable to a limited degree about its longitudinal axis between two positions situated on either side of the plane passing through the axis of rota-tion and the direction of movement.

Propelling devices for vessels with a wing that can be moved in the water are already known per se; in its simplest form as a loose scull, worked from the stern of a fiat, in which case, however, the sculling art requires great strength, skillfulness, and above all long training.

More complicated devices, in which mechanical drives move the wing in the water with the aid of rods, crank shafts, etc., are known, but owing to their complicated character and their heaviness have proved unpracticable and accordingly are not suitable to be applied for the object in view.

The wing can be fastened at the outer end of the lever in various ways, eg substantially in the axis of the wing, the greater part of the propelling power being exerted by the tip of the wing.

With a view to the propulsion, however, it is advantageous to do so by means of a shaft which, viewed in the direction of movement, lies ahead of the axis of the wing, since in this way a larger part of the wing is utilized.

For the application it is more particularly lighter boats which have been though of, such as those of the type illustrated in the drawing. The propelling device according to the invention is fixed on the boat, so that it can easily be launched by one person.

The operation as well as further details and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description, with reference to the annexed drawings, which by way of example shows embodiments of the propelling device according to the invention.

FIGURE 1 is a plan of the part of the boat on which the propelling device is mounted, the arrow indicating the direction of movement, while two different possibilities of attachment of the rowing wing to the lever system are shown, one on each side.

FIGURE 2 shows a rear elevation of the arrangement with the hull of the boat in cross-section.

FIGURE 3 shows the shape of an oar or wing.

FIGURES 4 and 5 are cross-sections along the lines IV-IV and V-V in FIGURE 2 respectively.

FIGURE 6 shows a diagram of forces and the two positions which the wing will take up in the water.

In these figures con-responding components have the same reference number.

The hull of the boat is denoted by 1, and as a whole has the shape of a South Sea surf-boat. Firmly fixed on the deck 2 of the boat is a support or outrigger 3, having a bearing for a rotatable shaft 4 at its obliquely outboard end directed.

Fastened to the shaft 4, in the way of a seesaw, is a two-armed lever system 5, of which the part located above the deck of the boat serves as the handle, while on the part directed towards the water a wing 6 is mounted, in such a way that it can rotate to a limited degree about its longitudinal axis. By exerting a force on the handle in the vertical direction the wing 6 can be moved up or down in the water via the lever system.

The wing 6 is fitted with a fastening shaft 7, which is mounted in or on the front side of the wing. The construction of the starboard (righthand) wing, shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 4, is such that the shaft 7 is contained in a bore at the end of the lever 5 and is kept in place by a fastening bolt 8 in a groove 9' of the lever, said groove at the same time confining the rotating movement of the wing.

The construction of the port (left-hand) wing, shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 5, is such that here the shaft 7 is connected to a bronze plate 1.1 embedded in the plastic wing; the bronze plate is secured to lever system 5 with the aid of lock-bolts 1 2, rubber bushings 13 being interposed and joining by flanged sockets 14. In this case therefore the wing, dependent on the force exerted and consequently on the compression of the rubber bushings 13, is mounted on the lever system in such a way that it can rotate to a limited degree.

The operation of the propelling device according to the invention is as follows:

In the initial position the blade of the wing is approximately parallel to the direction of movement; as the handles are moved upwards the end of the lever that is directed towards the water will move in the downward direction towards the hull of the boat.

The part of the wing (rear) that is furthest removed from the connection ('7, 11) is thus subjected to a force A (PEG 6). Owing to the resistance to the water the wing will take up a position at an angle as shown in FIGURE 6, in full lines. During the downward movement through the water a propelling vector B propelling the boat forward will be developed by the wing.

With the opposite movement, i.e. as the handles are moved downwards, the wing will move upwards, taking up a position at an angle as shown in FIGURE 6 in dotted lines. Again owing to this movement the propelling vector B propelling the boat forward is developed.

The process in which the oar takes up .a position at a given angle proceeds fully automatically, in the construction according to FIGURE 4 owing to the limitation of the fastening bolt 8 in the groove 9, whilst with the construction according to FIGURE 5 some previous adjustment is possible by a tightening or loosening of the lockbolts 12 and the adjustment of the angle further depends on the extent of the force exerted, in which case the great advantage is gained that the wing will take up the most favourable position for maximum propulsion.

In starting, in rowing against the wind, or a small 3 sailing-boat is being towed, a larger propelling force is required, and this is obtained automatically, since in this case one will have to give stronger strokes, owing to which the resistance on the wings in the water increases, the wings consequently (in the case of FIGURE 5) adjusting themselves at a larger angle, as a result of which a larger propelling force again is obtained. At higher speeds only a smaller angle is required, which is attained automatically by the decreased vertical pressure.

The steering of the boat is etfected by giving stronger or longer strokes with one hand than with the other or by heeling towards starboard or towards port.

It is naturally possible, if desired, to adapt the levers by means of a transmission for a horizontal to-and-fro movement, in which case the oarsman may sit down.

The hull and the wings are made of synthetic resin reinforced with glass fibre, so that maximum strength is combined with minimum weight. The support and the. lever system are of light tubular construction.

A boat of this type, capable of bearing about two adults, is eminently suited not only for practising sports, but also as a life-boat for coast-guards, enabling them to pick up bathers who have gone out of the depths, or as a tug for towing up small sailing craft from and to a yacht basin, for instance, if there is little wind.

The advantages of the boat, the device, and the method are briefly the following: very light construction, simr plicity of handling, it is possible to face in the direction of movement, the boat is propelled with the movement t of the wings in both directions and the oarsman, while standing up, is able to exert great force with the muscles of his arms as well as his legs, the swell gives little resistance, and it is possible, dependent of course on the force exerted, to attain high speeds of up to about 10 knots.

The invention has here been described with reference to one embodiment, which does not imply its being confined to this embodiment, since it will be possible for the expert to modify the design without departing from the scope of the inventive idea.

What I claim is:

A device for propelling a boat comprising a lever pivoted across the width of a boat for vertical motion on a fulcrum located at an edge of said boat and parallel to the length of said boat; an end of said lever extending outward beyond said edge of said boat and having rotatably fixed near the leading outward edge thereof, a paddle blade which rotates freely along its longitudinal axis and along the longitudinal axis of said lever where it is fixed thereto between two fixed stations in response to water pressure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 655,742 Sheen Aug. 14, 1900 1,006,118 Napier Oct. 17, 1911 2,998,798 Love Sept. 5, 1961 

